


The True Alpha

by Snugglebuttkitten



Series: Werewolf Luka AU [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Kwamis, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, POV Luka Couffaine, POV Marinette Dupain-Cheng, POV Multiple, True Mates, Werewolf Mates, Werewolf Politics, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:28:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28709718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snugglebuttkitten/pseuds/Snugglebuttkitten
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng is the only Daughter and Heir to the Cheng Dynasty, a pack so big that it's reach stretches across Asian and European soil.  Her life has been mapped out from the second she was born, and it has all lead to a singular moment. The mate ceremony. A ceremony where any eligible young wolf of good breeding can enter a tournament to compete for her hand in marriage.Luka Couffaine has hated packs for as long as he could remember. Ever since his father was killed and his family driven out of their territory, he has lived a nomadic lifestyle with his mother and younger sister, never settling in any one place for too long lest they get wiped out by a bigger and stronger pack. When he learns of his old childhood friend's upcoming Mate Ceremony, Luka knows that this is his chance to reclaim a title that should have been his birth-given right. Even if that means using a girl he once fancied himself in love with to do it.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Félix Graham de Vanily
Series: Werewolf Luka AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2097867
Comments: 86
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am in some type of mood and crave angst and romance so here you go
> 
> Also, this was supposed to be a oneshot but I have zero self control so... yea

**_Fifteen Years Ago_ **

The Dupain-Cheng house was modest, in comparison to some of the other territories he had visited in the past, but Luka Couffaine thought it suited them quite well. They didn’t feel the need to show off their wealth with unnecessary opulence or gaudy decor. The four bedroom flat was simplistic and rustic, with a sort of old-world charm despite the relatively modern appliances. More than that, it looked lived in. Most of the time, when his parents had taken him with them to visit other local, and foreign, Alphas in their territories, their estates had been overwhelmingly huge and grand, but they lacked the personal touch that made it seem like people actually lived there and they always had a cold and unwelcoming atmosphere. Not here. The Cheng Dynasty was one of the biggest packs in the entire world, stretching across both Europe and Asia with their Alphas, Sabine and Tom, travelling frequently between the two countries. They were a large and powerful pack, easily holding their own against would-be intruders, but they were also kind and generous. That is why they were there. The Dupain-Chengs were the first people his mother, Anarka Couffaine, had thought to go to when his father was killed and their modest and much smaller pack was claimed by someone else.

It was fortunate that the brute who had stolen their home had taken mercy on them, banishing them instead of killing them like he had killed Lula’s father. But banishment was almost just as much of a death sentence these days, as packs grew their territories and became increasingly less accepting of rogue wolves loitering at the edges of their borders. That was why his mother had brought him and his baby sister, who was only five years old, to the Cheng Dynasty. She hoped that they would help and Luka desperately hoped she was right. They stood in the Dupain-Chengs’ living room now, dirty and exhausted from fleeing their territory in a hurry. Poor Juleka looked like she was about to fall asleep where she stood, clinging to her mother’s fingers in one hand and a dirty stuffed rabbit pressed to her chest with the other. Tear tracks streaked through the dirt that caked her cheeks and her eyes were rimmed with red, but for the time being at least, she had stopped crying and now stood mostly in a daze at their mother’s side. Anarka Couffaine looked worlds better, but her clothing was still ripped and tattered from fleeing on foot through a dense forest. Juleka had yet to shift, a late bloomer her mother still insisted despite the fact that most of their kind found their wolf within the first two years of their life and some even mere moments after birth. Regardless, it had made fleeing as wolves impossible because Juleka wouldn’t have been capable of keeping up.

Despite her haggard appearance, Anarka Couffaine stood tall and proud, back straight and shoulders back as if she hadn’t just been forced to flee for her life and the lives of her children. Luka was probably the least alarming to look at, out of the three. He had been in his own wolf form throughout most of their escape of their territory, scouting ahead and occasionally falling back to lead the wolves chasing them on a wild goose chase to give his mother and sister a better chance of escaping before the wolves caught up and they were forced to fight for their freedom. He had a few minor scratches and mud streaking his cheeks and arms from when he had been forced to shift and navigate areas where two legs and opposable thumbs were more beneficial than claws and teeth, but he mostly just looked like a normal kid that had been playing outside all day, aside from the exhaustion clinging to him like a weighted blanket. The door across the room shifted, creaking open briefly before a nose, followed by a snout appeared.

The door swung open further as the small wolf pushed her way into the room, bushy tail wagging and blue eyes shining with excitement. Her fur was soft and silky, blue black like the sheen of a raven’s feathers. Luka felt the probing touch within his frontal lobe that was indicative that a wolf outside his own pack wished to speak to him telepathically. He could already feel his mother’s warning look drilling into the side of his head, urging him to ignore the request. They were here to see the wolf’s parents and his mom didn’t want him getting distracted or for her to ask questions he wasn’t at liberty to answer. But he was only nine, and his wolf’s desires still often overruled his own conscious thought. The wolf wanted to make the mental connection. Though they were young, the wolf already had ideas of a future between them and this female. Luka had never been opposed to his wolf’s desires before but now, that dream seemed about to go down the drain and there was little he could do to stop it.

_Luka? What are you doing here? Have you come for a visit?_

The questions probed at his mind, pressing in as bluebell eyes locked on his and the urge to shift became almost unbearable. He held his wolf in check, but only just barely.

 _No, we came to talk to your parents. What are you doing home? Don’t you have school?_ His head tilted slightly as his own blue gaze met hers and her tail swished slightly at his voice in her head.

 _The Agrestes are visiting. Maman wanted me to meet the Alpha’s son and nephew._ She explained, padding further into the room on silent paws as she surveyed the appearance of him and his family for the first time since she entered. Concern immediately reflected within her gaze as it swivelled back to him. _Are you okay? Where is Uncle Jagged?_

Luka flinched at the question, something he knew that Marinette Dupain-Cheng wasn’t likely to miss. She was only five, like Juleka, but she was a perceptive kid. They almost never came to visit without his dad in tow, ready to sweep his favorite honorary niece into a bear hug. Jagged Stone was a one-of-a-kind wolf. A gentle leader, eccentric and with a flair for the dramatics but kind. He had led his pack through mutual respect and the admiration of his packmates and now, in the blink of an eye, it was all gone and Luka wanted to scream and rage about the injustice of it all. That he, a boy of only nine years old, should lose his father, his home, his friends, his very _future_ all in one terrible, gut-wrenching night.

 _I… I’m not allowed to say,_ he said, casting his eyes downward as shame filled him. Shame at not having been able to protect his pack, his family, or his home. He knew it was irrational. He was only nine. Still, he had been the future Alpha. He should have been able to do _something_ to prevent this new reality. The wolf whined, padding closer still until she was sitting beside him, her furry weight pressed into his side as her tongue flicked out to swipe comfortingly against his fingers. Her presence in his mind lingered, but she didn’t press him for anymore information and for that he was grateful. She was an inquisitive creature and he knew it must be taking every ounce of willpower that she possessed not to demand answers. Not long after, footsteps could be heard approaching and Luka buried his fingers into the girl’s fur as she pressed even harder against him, a low growl emanating from her chest. The first person to enter the room was unfamiliar, a tall and thin man with angular features wearing a white suit over a gray vest and a red and white striped handkerchief. Behind him walked a young boy of six, or maybe seven, with golden hair and grass green eyes.

Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng entered next. Their postures were unusually stiff, eyes downcast. Even the normally loud and jovial Tom seemed particularly downtrodden and Luka felt the first inkling of unease fill his gut before three more people trickled into the room. The woman was beautiful. Tall, slim, with grass green eyes and long golden hair. Beside her stood a boy who bore such a similarity to the first boy, Luka was certain they were identical twins. The final person was male, tall and imposing like most Alpha males. He was muscular, fair of skin with pale blond hair and eyes the color of honey. Luka’s breath caught in his throat, dread coiling like a rattlesnake at the pit of his stomach as the man’s scent assaulted his senses and a terrible snarl ripped through the air. It wasn’t his snarl, however. It was his mother’s. Luka’s gaze jerked to the woman as she drew herself up to stand taller and bared her teeth at the man in a clear display of threat and dominance. Fur ripped along her arms, appearing and disappearing sporadically as she fought for control with her wolf.

“You,” she snarled, her voice becoming thick and garbled as her canines elongated. “You killed my husband!”

Anarka shifted so fast, Luka didn’t even have time to react before she and the man, now a massive golden wolf, slammed into each other. Juleka screamed, pulling her bunny up to hide her face while the blonde woman and the tall thin man ushered the two young boys back against the far wall and away from the fighting wolves. Tom and Sabine shifted seamlessly, circling the two wolves as they snarled and snapped, each grappling for the dominant position.

 _Luka, move!_ The wolf at his side was suddenly on her paws, pushing and prodding him back toward the wall but Luka was rooted to the spot, terrified that he and Juleka were about to be orphaned altogether. The wolf beside him growled and suddenly her teeth were buried in his hand, hard enough to draw blood. Luka yelped and jerked back, but it was enough to jar him back to the here and now and snapping into action he grabbed Juleka and dragged her towards the back wall before they could be trampled by the fighting wolves. The fight ended quickly after that, Tom and Sabine stepping in the second there was an opening and dragging the two back from each other by their scruffs. Anarka Couffaine stood beside Tom Dupain, her wiry gray wolf looking tiny compared to the massive brown beast that was the Cheng Alpha. She was missing chunks of fur, several deep gouges on her left flank welled with blood and there was a nasty cut above her left eye as well. In comparison, the male had a few minor scratches but ultimately looked unharmed from the whole ordeal. 

Anarka bared her teeth, sky blue eyes flicking from the golden wolf, to Tom and Sabine, and finally to where Luka clutched Juleka to his chest, the small blue-black wolf standing before them like she had been trying to protect them from the fight. Jerking her head back to the other adults in the room, she snarled once more before finally lowering her head and backing away, ears flattened in submission. Luka knew the last thing his mother wanted was to back down, to give in. But he also recognized why she did it. This was a male wolf in his prime. Luka’s parents had been much older when they had him and Anarka was nowhere near a match for the Alpha male before her. It was likely why Tom and Sabine had stepped in to stop the fight. If Anarka fought and inevitably lost, there would be no mercy this time. Luka and Juleka would be cast out of pack territory alone and without an adult to take care of and protect them. They had come here expecting to find help and yet… the people they had come to think of as family, they appeared to be in league with the same man who had killed Luka’s father and taken away everything he had ever known. The betrayal cut deep, like a hunter’s arrow through the heart, and it made anger and hatred rise up within Luka as he glared hard at Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng, who he had once called Aunt and Uncle. Who he had thought might eventually be his in laws.

Anarka shifted, keeping her head bowed as she skirted the room, taking Juleka from his arms, and grabbing his wrist, before dragging him quickly towards the door. They would find no help here. Luka looked back, eyes wide and desperate at the realization that this was probably the last time he would ever see this place, or Marinette again. His gaze found that of the black wolf’s as she surged to her feet, her own gaze mirroring his sudden fear and desperation. _Luka, wait!_ She leaped up to follow him, her wolf’s instinct to stay by his side. To protect. But she hadn’t even gotten two steps before her father’s teeth closed over her scruff, jerking her to a halt and leaving her scrabbling uselessly at the carpeted floor. _Luka! Luka, come back!_

Marinette’s anguished howl tore through the air and reverberated through his skull, the need to return to her side tearing him up inside. But the iron grip on his wrist only tightened, a physical shackle to keep him grounded and in his human form, instead of giving into the animal raging within him. Luka did not go back, instead forging forward into the unknown with only his mother, his sister, and his hatred for the packs and what they had become burning through every fiber of his being.


	2. Chapter 2

The black wolf woke with a gasp, surging to his paws and whipping his head back and forth with hackles raised and teeth bared as if a threat could appear at any moment. But the woods around him, bright with the first rays of early morning light, were silent and still save for the twittering of birds in the trees above. He was slow to lower his defenses, the agonizing howl still fresh in his mind as if it had only happened yesterday and not nearly fifteen years ago. He snarled at himself, at his own stupidity for dwelling on the past when he should instead be looking only to the future. It had been years since he had thought of her, the girl with the raven hair and bluebell eyes. So why now? A twig snapped nearby, once again raising the brute’s hackles as he whipped around defensively, but he relaxed moments later when his sister entered the clearing, followed moments later by a slim gray wolf with sky blue eyes.

The wolf cocked her head at his stiff body language, dropping the rabbit she carried in her mouth and padding closer to press her muzzle against the side of his. Luka nuzzled his mother back, trying to force the tense set to his shoulders to drain away. The last thing he wanted to do was worry her or Juleka with his own idiocy. Juleka took one look at him and rolled her eyes, crossing to the small fire pit they had erected to start a fire. They could eat the rabbit raw, but they all preferred it cooked. Especially Juleka, since she didn’t have the wolves’ ability to stomach raw meat the way her mother and brother could.

“He was probably dreaming about _her_ again,” the black-haired girl pointed out, copper eyes flicking up to stare at her brother expectantly. The black wolf growled, upper lip peeling back to show a hint of canine but without a wolf of her own, Juleka wasn’t bound by their laws and felt nothing of the Alphas pull to obey. Instead, she rolled her eyes and raised one brow in challenge, unaffected by his display. “Don’t look at me that way. It’s true.”

 _Ye need to let it go, boy. Ye need to let_ her _go,_ Anarka’s voice said in his mind and Luka shifted his blue gaze to meet that of his mother’s once more. His lip fell back down and his ears flattened as his head lowered slightly, shame prickling at his skin.

 _I have let it go. It was just a dream,_ he insisted, shooting a quick glare at his sister. _It meant nothing._ She _means nothing._

Luka didn’t bother to explain to his mother or his sister that it hadn’t been a dream but a memory. A vivid memory that had haunted him for the better part of fifteen years. Her haunting howl had plagued his dreams since the day he had been ripped away from her side. At first it had been a nightly occurrence, coupled with the terrible images of his father’s death and fleeing their home. As the years passed by, those memories had faded to a distance part of his mind. Always there, but not nearly as prominent. It had been a few years now since he had really thought of her, and even longer since his dreams had been plagued with her desperate cries for him to come back, to stay. He didn’t blame Marinette Dupain-Cheng for what had happened. She was a child, as much a victim in all this as he was because she had been ripped away from the one her wolf had pledged itself too and that was a pain worse than any death. He knew, because he had experienced it right alongside her. But at the end of the day, she was still one of them. She was still a pack wolf and as such, there would be no future between them.

The fire crackled and popped, tearing Luka from his thoughts and he met his mother’s gaze with a renewed resolve that finally seemed to convince her of the truth in his words. Perhaps, if he kept repeating the mantra in his head, he would come to believe it himself. Juleka didn’t look nearly as convinced as she poked at the fire with a stick, copper eyes narrowed as they seemed to burn a hole into the side of his head. Baring his teeth briefly in her direction, Luka let his wolf rescind until he, too, stood on two legs instead of four. The small clearing in the woods wasn’t much, but it was several miles away from the nearest pack territory in any one direction and so they had managed to stay there for almost six months now. Certainly it was the longest they had ever stayed in any one place, but Luka was almost thirty now. He was well into his prime as a young male wolf, and as the son of an alpha he was powerful enough that at least for now, his scent markers were enough to deter would be intruders. 

A tent sat near the center of the clearing, close to the make-shift fire pit. Blankets were piled up inside making the floor soft and much more comfortable than the hard-packed earth outside. A tarp was attached to that and propped up by two metal stakes, keeping their fire pit and the three camping chairs around it dry and safe from the elements. Luka took the rabbit from his mother and pulled a switch blade from his pocket, leaving the clearing without another word to skin the rabbit and prepare it for cooking. Juleka could handle cooking meat but the actual skinning of the animal often proved too much for her to bear. She had a soft stomach and an even softer heart, even if she tried to hide it behind bold words and sarcastic remarks. He tried to keep his mind off of the memory as much as he could while making quick work of the rabbit, but his mind kept straying to the girl he had left behind. She would be turning twenty soon, the age where most female wolves entered their prime breeding years. He wondered if she had taken a mate yet, and instantly hated himself for the way his wolf immediately raged at the very thought of her taking a mate that wasn’t him. His wolf was… persistent… in his claim of the Cheng Heir, and the mark on the palm of his hand where she had bitten him all those years ago almost seemed to pulse as if in agreement. As the only Heir to the Cheng Dynasty, and a female to boot, she would likely be preparing for a Mate Tournament. He wondered who would be lucky enough, and strong enough, to win her hand, as well as the future Alphadom of the Cheng Dynasty and his hand stilled in the act of skinning the rabbit as that thought caught and lingered. 

Whoever won the tournament would become Marinette’s mate. Any male wolf with the blood of an Alpha was permitted to compete for her hand in marriage. Even if that wolf had lost his pack and his territory. Even if he was currently considered a rogue. Which meant _Luka_ technically possessed all of the qualifications to become the next Alpha of the Cheng Dynasty. One of the biggest and most powerful packs in existence. He hated the packs, this was true, but if he was Alpha of the Cheng Dynasty, he could get revenge on the man who had killed his father. He could reclaim his family’s land, and their dignity. He could restore his father’s honor and, a small part of him whispered, Marinette would be his. His and his alone. Forever. The human part of him tried to squash that little detail and write it off as an unimportant result of winning, but his traitorous wolf clung to it possessively. Forgetting the task at hand, Luka spun and rushed back to the clearing, startling his mother and Juleka when he crashed through the treeline and slid to a halt.

“What’s wrong?” Anarka, now in her human form, was on her feet immediately, scanning the area for any sign of a threat.

“Where’s the rabbit?” Juleka added, significantly less worried about potential threats and more focused on the fact that their breakfast had disappeared.

“Forget the rabbit, Jules. We’re going to the Cheng Dynasty,” Luka growled, blue eyes hard as flint. Anarka and Juleka exchanged a look, shock reflecting in their gazes, before turning back to Luka.

“What-”

“Why-”

“I’m going to compete in Marinette’s mate tournament,” he said fiercely, determination lighting up his gaze. “And I’m going to win.”

  
  


The moon was beautiful tonight. Without a cloud in the sky, it stood against the backdrop of an indigo sky, full and proud as it sat amongst a sea of stars. Marinette Dupain-Cheng shivered slightly as a cold breeze whipped at her hair and brushed against her bare arms, causing goosebumps to break out across her flesh. Leaning against the ornate railing of her balcony, she sighed and turned her face up to breath in the moonlight and hopefully clear the cacophony of thoughts racing through her mind. In ten minutes, she would be standing on a raised dais like some sort of Princess, welcoming the young men who had all come here for a chance to win her hand in marriage. It was an archaic and belittling practice from ancient times and yet, it had stuck. The mate tournament was a sacred practice for their people, very similar to how the Superbowl was for humans. Wolves would come from all over the globe to pay tribute to her and her parents, and to watch the bloodshed in person. She wanted no part of it. Unfortunately, she wasn’t given much of a choice.

“Marinette? It’s time,” the gentle voice of her former nanny turned friend and confidante, Tikki, drew the young woman from her thoughts and she straightened up and turned towards the woman with a weak smile. Tikki was several inches taller than Marinette with deep red hair and bright blue eyes. Her dress was a deep crimson, like the color of blood, overlayed with black lace. She looked brilliant and regal and confident in her own skin, all things that Marinette _should_ be feeling and yet… all she felt was a vast loneliness that clawed her heart to ribbons. Her wolf was barely even detectable beneath the surface, curled up in the furthest recesses of her mind. Like Marinette, she wanted less than nothing to do with this tournament, her heart beating for another already. But it had been years since she had seen the boy and all she had left of him were murky memories of kind blue eyes and a calm, gentle smile, of sweet yearning and terrible, terrible loss. She couldn’t even recall his name, the painful memories buried so deep in her subconscious that pulling them free felt like wading through a sea of razor blades. She only recalled that he existed, at one point, and then he was gone.

“Right. How do I look?” Marinette shoved her thoughts away as she brushed her gloved hands down the full length of her skirt. The dress she wore was absolutely stunning, the top a chinese style halter in black velvet with a high neckline which flowed down into a v at her waist before poofing out into a full, navy blue skirt inlaid with hundred of tiny diamonds to give it the appearance of a glittering night sky. Black elbow length gloves and high heeled sandals completed the look. Her hair was in an ornate top knot, inlaid with diamonds and intricate ivy stems made out of gold and emerald, while the back fell loose around her shoulders. Several wispy curls escaped the knot to frame her freckled cheeks and cerulean eyes, looking like ink against the paleness of her skin. She looked like something straight out of a fairytale, and on any other occasion might rejoice at a chance to dress up like Cinderella on her way to the big ball and dance the night away with a handsome prince. But under these circumstances, she only felt dread and despair.

“You look gorgeous. Any one of those guys out there would be lucky to have you,” she said with a kind smile. Marinette smiled back, the expression strained but genuine because she knew Tikki meant well and didn’t understand that Marinette’s heart already belonged to another. Even if she didn’t know who that person was, or if he was still even alive. To Tikki, this was the defining moment of Marinette’s entire life. Something to be celebrated and excited about. For her sake, the raven-haired woman wanted to keep it that way. Let Tikki believe that fairytales truly did exist. Perhaps she might eventually find her prince charming the way she hoped Marinette would. This was her burden to bear, and hers alone.

“We should go. You know how Maman is about tardiness,” the dark-haired woman said with a chuckle, Tikki shuddering physically at the reminder. Sabine Cheng could be scary when she wanted to be, that was for sure. Hooking her arm through Tikki’s, Marinette allowed her friend to guide her from the room and towards the ballroom that sat on the first floor of the Cheng Estate. Her parents had had this palace of a home built ten years ago, leaving Marinette’s childhood home abandoned and untended where it had been built. She thought the house was over the top. Four stories tall and full of unnecessary luxuries, especially considering only the three of them, and their household staff, lived here. They had wanted to have enough room for visiting dignitaries but Marinette much preferred their old place and still visited it from time to time. This just seemed like showing off. Tikki guided her down the grand staircase, the hum of conversation rising on the air the closer they got to the double doors of the ballroom and anxiety weighed like a boulder in her stomach.

“You’ve got this,” the redhead encouraged, stepping back as they reached the doors and the two footmen outside pushed them open. Conversation ceased as Marinette stepped inside, head held high as she made her way through the crowd towards the dais where her parents sat in literal thrones. The dominance permeting the room was stifling, each young hopeful letting his will clash with those around them, each vying to gain her attention and her favor before the games had even begun. It only made her lip curl and her skin prickle with anger. She didn’t want to be here and neither did her wolf. But duty to her pack and to her people forced her to comply. Her steps were slow and measured as she made her way through the room. Most girls in her position would be surveying the room, excitedly seeking out a male her wolf might prefer over the others. Marinette did not do this. She stared straight ahead as she walked, her expression stoic and distant. Her wolf still hadn’t come out from hiding anyway. She was as uninterested in this lot of brutes as her human conscious was.

Three steps up and she joined her parents at the edge of the dais as they greeted their guests and thanked them for coming before launching into the long winded story of their pack, their union, and the history of the mate tournament. The ball was an opening ceremony of sorts. In three days time, the real games would begin. The mate tournament started out with basic feats of strength, wit, and skill before moving onto the true tournament, a series of vicious battles that often resulted in severe injury and even in death. Alpha males did not play around when it came to claiming the best possible mate to bear their children. And as the Heir to the Cheng Dynasty, she was pretty much the biggest catch of the century. Any unattached wolf with alpha blood between eighteen and forty would be here to compete for her hand in marriage. Her parents were matched through a mating tournament when her mother was only seventeen. Her father had died prematurely and wolf law dictates a female cannot govern a pack alone, forcing her to have her ceremony three years early. Werewolf law was not very feminist friendly, something that was becoming increasingly clear to the twenty year old. They had come to love each other deeply, but Marinette didn’t have the same hopes for her own ceremony. Not when her wolf still mourned a boy she barely even remembered.

Lost in these thoughts, Marinette didn’t realize the attention had all turned to her until her mother elbowed her sharply in the ribs, an expectant look on her face. Right. As the prize to be won in these games, she was tasked with leading the howl that would officially signal the start of the ceremony and the games. The problem was, her wolf has no desire to come out and perform like some trained circus poodle. Marinette desperately called on her, cheeks flaming as seconds ticked by and still her wolf resolutely refused to surface. It was like playing tug of war with an angry tiger. The wolf snarled as Marinette mentally tugged at her, begging her not to embarass her here, now, among all of these people. But her wolf refused to listen, turning her nose up indignantly and turning her metaphorical back on Marinette. A low murmur of dissent rippled through the room and she could feel her mother glaring daggers from where she stood next to her, silently urging her to shift and stop making a fool of herself but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t.

 _What do you think you’re doing?_ Her mother’s voice whipped through her mind like barbed wire causing the young woman to flinch and shrink back. _Shift!_

The command rolled over her, causing her wolf to stir only briefly before she dug her heels in even deeper, nearly bringing the girl to her knees. Marinette’s head whipped up, eyes darting desperately for an escape as the anxiety and embarrassment rose, the tittering and murmuring of the watching wolves seeming to grow louder with every shuddering breath she took. Her chest constricted tightly, vision swimming as she swayed on her feet and distantly she could feel her mother gripping her shoulders and see her mouth moving, this time concern instead of anger reflecting on her face. But no words reached Marinette’s brain. The crowd shifted, parting briefly, and her darting gaze landed on the figure of a man who stood near the back of the crowd. Her vision was too blurred to make out his other features, but his eyes seemed to burn into her very soul, blue like flames. She knew those eyes. More importantly, her _wolf_ knew those eyes and she suddenly roared to life with such vigor and desperation, clawing to the surface so suddenly that Marinette had fainted before she landed on all four paws.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if the time skip seemed rather abrupt but next chapter I promise I'll go back to Luka's POV and lead up to the ending in this chapter XD


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was getting a bit long-winded so you will be getting a second Luka-centric chapter next XD

“The Cheng Dynasty? Are you insane?” Juleka rounded on him, mouth dropped open and eyes wide with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and a hint of anger. If she were capable of shifting, he expected she would already be in her wolf form ready to take a chunk out of his flank for even suggesting they go back. But shifting was never something Juleka had been capable of. Luka held his hands out in a placating gesture, blue gaze flicking between his sister and his mother as he tried to figure out how to make them understand. Going back was the last thing he wanted, the betrayal still burning deep even after so many years. But the need for revenge burned twice as bright, and the need to avenge his father’s death still ate away at his very core.

“Maybe. But it would be ten times more insane to remain in this godforsaken forest for the rest of our lives,” he retorted, throwing an arm out to indicate the forest all around them. The sun was out today, despite the cold nip of an early winter breeze, glimmering as it fell down upon the tall pine trees that surrounded them. Birds sang from the tree tops, squirrels and chipmunks chattered incessantly as they chased each other through the branches, and nearby the babble of a creek could just barely be heard over the rustle of the wind in the trees. But as beautiful as this stretch of forest was, it was little more than a cage, penned in on three sides by pack territories, and on the fourth by human civilization. As much as his sister liked to pretend, they would never truly be happy here. Not until they returned to their own kind.

Juleka growled at his response, the sound almost sounding like a true wolf as she advanced, lip peeling back as anger made her copper eyes blaze. Juleka hated the packs. Perhaps even more than Luka did. She didn’t remember a lot of what had happened the night they fled their territory, and what she did remember she often refused to divulge. But he suspected she remembered their father’s death as vividly as he did. They had both been there, in the dining hall, when the stranger and his wolves had stormed in and challenged Jagged. They had been laughing about something one of the other pack wolves had been saying, some hilarious story from their father’s youth that had involved his wolf getting its head stuck in a pickle jar, and they hadn’t fully understood the implications of what would happen if their father lost. Their mother had tried to protect them. To drag them from the room but they had wanted so badly to stay, to watch their father defeat the man who so foolishly came to challenge him. Juleka’s screams still haunted him, almost as Marinette’s anguished howl did. It took a long moment for Juleka to respond. Probably longer than she would have liked but she did eventually formulate a response to his words.

“At least we’re  _ alive _ , Luka,” Juleka spat, shoving back the thick fall of her ebony locks so the full effect of both eyes drilled into him.

“This isn’t living, Jules. It’s existing. Barely. We belong with our own kind, not living out in the middle of the woods, alone and isolated from the world.” His nostrils flared, his sister’s stubborn refusal to even consider his plan viable causing his ire to rise despite how much he struggled to keep his temper in check. Luka was a lot like his dad had been in that way. Most Alphas were volatile, prone to anger quickly when their subordinates challenged them. But with Luka, and his dad before him, it took a lot to push them to the point of no return. They weren’t quick to anger, but when they did reach that point their anger burned hot and bright like an inferno, destroying everything in its path.

“They will  _ kill _ you, Luka. Don’t you realize that? You won’t be welcome back there,” Juleka deflated abruptly and tears glistened at the corners of her eyes though not a single one fell. Wrapping her arms around her torso, she gripped her elbows hard enough that her knuckles turned white from the strain and her cheeks took on an ashen, sickly pallor as if the thought of what might happen to him made her physically ill. Luka’s shoulders sagged, his own anger dissipating as he realized her anger stemmed from fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear for him and fear for his life. Juleka was twenty now, but for a second she looked as scared as the five year old girl he remembered from that horrible, horrible night and he wanted to protect her from that fear but he couldn’t. Because her fears weren’t entirely unfounded. Technically, he met the requirements but he was still a Rogue and for pack wolves, rogues barely ranked above humans. He could walk into their territory and be killed on sight. Marinette might not even want anything to do with him, could even be the one to order his death. He didn’t know her. It had been fifteen years and fifteen years could do a lot to change a person. And yet, even knowing all of this, even with the guilt of causing his sister to fear for his life gnawing away at his heart…

“I have to  _ try _ , Jules,” he whispered, crossing the space between them and peeling her arms from her body. Juleka stiffened at the contact, her anger still lingering beneath the surface, but she didn’t pull away once he had settled her hands in his loose grasp and he figured that was a good sign. “I was supposed to be the Alpha. It’s  _ my _ job to make sure you and mom are safe and happy and secure. Doing this, winning the tournament, will allow me to do my job.”

Juleka searched his gaze for a long moment before flicking her gaze to their mother who up until now had yet to voice her opinion on the matter. Luka followed her gaze, waited on baited breath as Anarka’s steady gaze seemed to drill through him and finally, she dipped her head in a barely there nod of acceptance. She had accepted Luka as their ‘alpha’ a long time ago and she trusted her son’s judgement. She knew he wouldn’t do anything that might put her or Juleka in danger and so she saw no reason to voice her own desire to avoid the packs. The truth is, she could see where Luka was coming from. Regaining their place in Werewolf Society was likely the only way to avenge her husband’s death and reclaim their pack and territory. And if it meant Luka got a shot at happiness, well that was most certainly okay with her. She had always liked little Marinette.

Luka took a deep, shuddering breath and looked from his mom, to his sister, and then around the little clearing they had called home for the past six months. He wouldn’t miss this place; no more than he had missed the countless other clearings just like this one where they had set up camp in the past. He hadn’t had a home, a real home, since they were driven from their territory when he was nine years old. And despite his apprehensions over what lay ahead, he thought in the privacy of his own head that it might be nice to have a home again. A place to settle down, without the threat of someone bigger or stronger coming along to drive him out. A place where his mom and Juleka could be safe and comfortable and happy. Where he could even maybe raise a few pups of his own.

_ With Marinette? _ His wolf voiced the question eagerly, hopefully, and Luka felt himself softening ever so slightly towards the idea as he imagined three, or maybe four little kids with blue-black hair and big blue eyes, with skinned knees and missing teeth grinning up at him. The image was… appealing, to say the least and he could feel his wolf’s approval at the thought. But just as quickly as it had softened, Luka’s heart hardened one more and with a grunt, he shoved the image away to the farthest reaches of his mind where he shoved everything he wished to forget. He wasn’t doing this out of some skewed idea of finding true love, or reclaiming a lost flame. He was doing this for his family, and for himself. Marinette Dupain-Cheng might have been innocent in all that had happened fifteen years ago. But as of right now, she was still the enemy. And Luka Couffaine did  _ not  _ consort with enemies.

  
  
  
  


Three days later found Luka and his family in the nearest human city that bordered the forest they had spent the past few months living in. It felt strange to be back in civilization after being off the grid for an extended period of time. Luka and his family rarely ventured into the human towns and cities unless absolutely necessary, preferring to live off the land. Most wolves avoided the human world when they could. They were instinctual creatures and sometimes it was nearly impossible to stop from shifting. Especially for children. For the safety of their species, it was easier to live among their own kind in forests spelled by Witches to make any humans who ventured close turn back. The human city closest to where he and his family had carved out their little slice of territory wasn’t huge like some of the cities he had seen. Nothing like Chicago or Paris or even Milan. But it was still loud and busy and like nothing you would find in a werewolf village. Being here was an unnecessary evil, but neither he nor his wolf had to like it. They simply had to endure it for the time being.

While he and his family didn’t often have a need for money, they still had a decent amount stashed away from the night they had fled their home all those years ago. And he was about to drop a decent chunk of it on a tailored wardrobe befitting the future Alpha of the Cheng Dynasty. They had arrived in the human city late last night, booking a hotel suite and settling in for the night. The hotel room was comfortably large, with two queen sized beds sitting against one wall, and a small sitting area with a loveseat, two matching arm chairs, and a small flatscreen television. There was also a small kitchenette, though they would be in the hotel for so little time it probably wouldn’t get much use. The decor was basic and yet tasteful, and certainly it was warmer than living out in the middle of the woods so that was nice.

They had taken turns enjoying the luxury of a hot shower, their first in months, and Luka and Juleka had decided to dye part of their hair in honor of their father and their former pack. A way to make clear that their intentions in this were to bring about the return of the Couffaine Pack. It had been one of thir pack’s defining features. Dyed hair and edgy, grungy, borderline gothic clothing styles. Juleka had chosen a deep violet for her tips and bangs, the exact shade their father often preferred to use. Her hair was long and glossy, falling clear down to her tailbone with her bangs shrouding one side of her face so that only one copper eye was visible most of the time. Luka had gone a different route. His hair was shaggy and shoulder length like his father’s had been, though perhaps not quite as unruly, and jet black like his sisters. He had chosen to dye the tips a vibrant teal, like the sea in Nice. A color that he was loathe to admit reminded him of  _ her _ eyes. 

When the first rays of morning light had brushed the horizon, Luka had left his mother and sister sleeping in one of the two beds to secure a phone and reach out to a contact he had made a few years ago. A young hybrid who had ties to the Werewolf community. Hybrids were rare in their world, but not entirely unheard of. This particular specimen was half witch, half werewolf. Most of the time, hybrids were frowned upon in the general magick community. But for whatever reason, Rose Lavillant was not only accepted. She was considered an honorary member of the Cheng Dynasty given her close relationship to the Cheng Heir. Either way, Rose had proven to be an invaluable asset in the past and she was only more than happy to divulge information pertaining to Marinette’s upcoming Mate Tournament. Now he had a date, time, and a location for the opening Ball, where he could show up and make his intentions on entering the competition known. And hopefully not get killed in the process. 

His wolf could barely be contained, so excited was he to see the girl and the mark on his palm had almost seemed to tingle with equal excitement. But Luka shut him down hard, shoving him to the back of his mind behind a locked door. He wouldn’t allow his wolf’s desires to cloud his judgement. The Werewolf world was a political nightmare and navigating it, after being so far removed for most of his life was going to be difficult, and dangerous, enough. He would need to keep his wits about him if he hoped to survive to claim his prize. After confirming the details Rose, Luka returned to the hotel room with breakfast to figure out their new game plan. Unfortunately for him, that game plan involved shopping. A lot of it. Not only for him, but for his mother and sister who would also be attending the events and watching on as he competed.

The bought dress shirts and blazers, slacks and sensible leather shoes, dresses and heels and handbags, jewelry and makeup. Truly, the amount the two women in his life could spend in a single afternoon was dizzying. Especially considering how out of practice they were. The party was in three days time, and the journey to the Cheng Dynasty would take almost just as long. They would travel by train for two days, and by car on the morning of the third. Rose had already arranged for a car to be waiting for them when they arrived at the train station in Toulouse. From there, they would leave the human world behind and travel deep into the Pyrenees Mountains where the Cheng Dynasty made their home, protected from prying human eyes. Rose was due to meet them when they entered the human deterrent barrier that sat a few miles out from the edge of the village where most of the Cheng Dynasty wolves, as well as a few outsiders who had gained favor with the pack Alphas, like Rose, lived. From there, they would settle into their temporary apartment (also arranged by Rose) and wait for the ball to start. 

The opening ball would begin with a speech from Marinette’s parents, followed by an opening howl led by the lady herself. From there, all eligible male contestants would line up and greet Marinette and her family personally and offer up a gift of some sort in hopes of gaining favor with the three of them. Each pack usually had something, some skill or trade that set them apart from the rest of their kind that usually influenced the gift. The Couffaine Pack had once been known for its trade routes and fishing vessels. Now renamed the De Vanily Pack, it was more typically known for its production of Textiles.

Three days. In three days he would be back in the Cheng Dynasty territory. His wolf shifted under his skin at the thought, unease skittering down his spine. It had been so long since he had set foot on the territory that had once been a second home to him. He couldn’t help but wonder how much had changed in the last few years, and thinking of that made him wonder how much  _ she _ had changed over the years as well. He could still vividly recall the little girl he had once cared for so deeply in his mind’s eye. The big blue eyes that always seemed a bit too big for her face. The cherub cheeks, the dimpled smile, the freckles that always seemed to pop out at you when she grinned. Small and always a bit fragile looking, but the toughest kid he had ever met. Fiercely determined to overcome obstacles placed in her path regardless of whether others thought she was too small or too weak to do so. Her hair always like a splash of ink against the creamy pallor of her skin.

Back then, Marinette was very much a tomboy. She was always climbing trees, wrestling with the boys in her pack and with Luka, splashing through marshes in search of newts and salamanders. She had never been afraid to get down and dirty. Was she still like that? A tomboy stuck in a feminine body? Or had she grown more into the young, poised lady that Sabine had always wanted her to be? Was she still as clumsy as she was as a kid? She used to trip over air and run into walls on the daily. Had adulthood made her clumsier? Or had grace come with age? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know your thoughts and theories, I love hearing them! Also, who would be interested if I made a spinoff of thi featuring Rose and Juleka's budding romance? Lemme know in the comments!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol did I say THIS chapter would be the ball? I meant next chapter haha oops
> 
> (sneakily bumps up rating and adds spicy archive warnings)

**_19 Years Ago_ **

_ “Marinette, there’s someone very special we would like you to meet.” _

_ Luka Couffaine looked up from where he was sitting on the small couch beside his mother, legs dangling several inches above the ground as he kicked them idly back and forth. Juleka was asleep on his Maman’s lap, fingers curled tightly into the front of her shirt, while his father reclined on Luka’s other side, long legs stretched out before him. He was bored out of his mind, tired of travelling and tired of meeting other packs. He had done this all when  _ he _ was a year old, like Juleka, and though he didn’t recall much he certainly didn’t find it very entertaining to be doing it all over again. These meetings were mostly boring introductions. Occasionally other kids were involved, like today apparently, but those kids tended to be as boring and uptight as their parents. The kids in  _ Luka’s _ pack at least knew how to have fun. _

_ Looking towards the doorway, he watched the Dupain-Cheng family, of the Cheng Dynasty, walk into the room. Or hobble, really, both parents practically bent double as they gripped the hand of the tiniest one year old Luka had ever seen. She was like  _ half _ the size, or maybe even less, of Juleka and he felt his nose wrinkle in displeasure.  _ Babies _ were even worse than stuck up kids his own age. He should know. He was forced to live with one after his parents decided to bring home the sleeping nightmare that was his baby sister. All she did was scream and cry and poop and pull his hair and break his toys. And no matter how much he begged, his parents just wouldn’t return her for at the very least, a model that wasn’t  _ broken.  _ He wondered, in the silence of his own head, whether he might convince Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng to take the little tyrant off his hands. They were obviously enamored with their own demon spawn. _

_ The tiny child toddled into the room, brow pulled low over her blue eyes and fingers turning white from how hard she gripped her parents as she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. They made slow progress into the room and Luka allowed his gaze to wander from her parents doting faces, to his own parents who were looking at the tiny girl like she was the most fascinating and adorable being in the whole entire world. Seriously, it was  _ just _ a baby. It wasn’t that cute! He looked back at the child critically and his lips twisted down in a displeased sneer. That was another problem with babies. They sucked up all the attention in the room and made Luka feel like he was invisible. Luka did  _ not _ like to feel invisible. _

_ “Why is it so scrawny?” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and Luka lifted his blue eyes as his mother gasped in shock and his father… well his father actually looked like he was trying not to laugh but that was pretty atypical of Jagged Stone, leader of the Couffaine Pack. He found the humor in every situation. _

_ “Luka Beowulf Couffaine! That is no way to speak to about a lady,” Anarka Couffaine scolded, twisting to glare down at him. If she expected him to be cowed by her look, she was gonna be disappointed. Luka was tired and irritated and  _ done _ with all the niceties he had been forced to endure for the last several days of travel.  _

_ “Well she  _ is _. Seriously, how could a wolf even fit in something so tiny,” he hopped off the couch to gesture towards the child who was now staring at him with wide, curious eyes. She didn’t even look offended at being called scrawny or tiny, so he wasn’t sure why his mother was looking at him like he had grown a second head. “Maybe she’s defective. Like Juleka,” he added with a scowl tossed in his baby sister’s direction. _

_ “Your sister is not defective!” Now his father was starting to look angry too, though the Dupain-Chengs looked more amused than anything else as they watched his little outburst with the girl. What had they called her? Marinette? Yeah, that was it. Marinette who was still watching him intently. Far more intently than any one year old he had ever seen before. Luka stared back, shifting uncomfortably as those unwavering blue eyes drilled into him. And then she… she  _ smiled. _ A big, almost toothless smile because like Juleka, she only actually had like four teeth sticking out of her gums. The small child released her parents, hands swinging in front of her and fingers making grabby motions as she took an unsteady step towards him. _

_ Luka’s jaw slackened with confusion, looking between his parents and the Dupain-Chengs helplessly for some sign of what he should do. The child toddled even closer and Luka tried to back up, wanting no part of her to touch any part of him less he got  _ baby cooties _ or something. But his dad was right behind him, and there was nowhere to go as the child toddled closer and closer. She was perhaps a foot away when she paused, legs shaking unsteadily and Luka looked up at the adults expectantly as she swayed, waiting for one of them to step in and grab her before she fell. When not one of them made a move to step forward, he looked apprehensively back at the little girl as she tried to take another step, her leg swinging too high and her diapered butt (because of course adults just  _ loved _ to parade babies around in just diapers and shirts without pants on) heading for the ground. Later, Luka would insist he only did what he did because he had spent enough time around his screaming sister that he didn’t want to listen to another baby cry. His parents would chortle at him and agree, but he had a feeling they were just humoring him the way adults often humored little kids. Either way, the second she started to fall Luka reacted, lunging forward and catching her under the arms to keep her from hitting the ground. _

_ Big blue eyes blinked up at him, startled by both his sudden movement and their close proximity. She was soft. Butter soft. Luka had refused to hold Juleka, even once since his parents had brought her home a year ago. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting it to feel like, but certainly it wasn’t anything like this. She smelled like milk, too. He usually associated Juleka with gross smells and loud noises but this baby wasn’t quite so bad… he supposed. For a baby. She was quiet, at least. And she didn’t smell like she had just soiled herself so that was always a bonus. And… and he supposed he could admit that up close she was kind of cute with those big blue eyes, that dimpled grin, and the wispy black curls that framed her face. Marinette tilted her head at him, nose twitching as if she were also cataloging his scent and filing it away for later and then she grinned, shock worn off to be replaced by inexplicable joy. _

_ Her tiny, wrinkled fingers came up and Luka flinched, expecting her to go for the shaggy mop of hair that sat on his own head the way Juleka always did. But Marinette just clapped her fingers on his cheeks, squishing them in slightly so that his lips puckered, and beamed a megawatt smile. “Mine.” She proclaimed loudly and decisively, patting his cheeks happily. “Mine Lu,” she repeated proudly, oblivious to the way the four adults stared on in shock. Luka looked up, still holding the child at arms length to stare desperately at the adults hoping  _ one _ of them might take pity on him and take the tiny werewolf from his arms. Cute or not, she was still the enemy like his sister was and Luka Couffaine did not consort with enemies. Eventually Sabine Cheng snapped out of her stupor and moved to take the child from his grasp, relieving him of his duty much to his relief. Luka picked himself up and dusted himself off before moving to duck behind his father’s leg. Peeking out, he glared at the child in Sabine’s arm. _

_ “Your baby is weird,” he spat, ducking back behind his dad’s legs. This time, not even his mother scolded him, too busy focusing on the little girl who was still squirming and reaching out in Luka’s direction. _

_ “Mine. My Lu, mine,” she insisted, fingers opening and closing in a grabby motion. Her parents exchanged another startled look and Sabine mumbled something about them being her first words. Luka didn’t know what that meant, all he knew was that babies were weird, and oftentimes gross and sometimes but very rarely  _ cute _ , and he really just wanted to go home and take a nap already. _

  
  
_**Present Day** _

Rose Lavillant was a tiny slip of a woman, barely eighteen years old and standing just under five feet in height. Her blonde hair was cut in a spiky pixie-bob, and her baby blues dominated her face. He had first encountered the girl four years ago, when she was around thirteen. Hybrids weren’t often welcome on pack territory. Much like rogues, they were frowned upon by the magick world. The fact that she was half werewolf only made it worse in the eyes of werewolf kind. An abomination, he had heard them called on numerous occasions. Unnatural was another popular one. And freak. They had just moved to a new clearing and he had been patrolling when he had come across her. Such a young, petite girl alone in the woods was bound to catch anyone’s attention.

He had stopped and decided to watch her. Not in a creepy way, but as someone who had a younger sister not too much older than this girl and was concerned for her safety and well-being. At the time, he hadn’t realized what she was. She looked like a human, didn’t particularly smell like any one individual creature and so he had planned to wait until she was done and then trail her out of the forest to make sure no harm befell her. He realized she was a witch about the time that her hands began to glow as she siphoned magic from the forest around her and stored them in a cluster of crystals spread around her on the ground in a semicircle. He hadn’t noticed the crystals before. He realized she was a hybrid about the time that four wolves slid out of the trees and surrounded her, the older one shifting to demand what she was doing on their territory. Hybrid, they had sneered the word like it was the dirties word in the world. 

Luka didn’t know if their intent was to harm her, kill her, or just knock her around a bit until she was so scared she never ventured into their woods again. But when the first wolf leaped, he reacted on the instinctive need to protect and sprang into action. Years of being on the run, of defending his family, had made his wolf stronger than most his age. He also had the element of surprise, the hybrid’s scent masking his own until he was practically upon the first wolf, teeth tearing through muscle and sinew and burying into bone as blood had filled his maw and the wolf’s terrified squeals had filled the air. He had let go shortly thereafter, his point proven. He had no desire to kill the wolves, but he had made it clear enough that he would if he had to. These wolves were all younger and more inexperienced than he was, anyway. Bullies who preyed on the weak and the defenseless, thinking no repercussions would come from it. And like all bullies, they had fled pretty quickly once they realized they were outmatched and outclassed.

At first, Rose had been terrified of him. Hybrids were almost always abandoned at birth and Rose was no different. Raised in the human world for most of her life, he doubted she had ever seen a werewolf up close before today. How she had even discovered she was a witch, or found another witch willing to take her on and mentor him, was still beyond him. But at least as far as witches went, Rose could hold her own in a fight. As long as she and her opponent were on relatively equal footing. He had escorted her back to the human village where she lived after that, and then he had slipped back into the forest expecting to never see her again. But she had come back, always tromping through the forest aimlessly until he eventually found her or she got lucky enough to stumble across him. She wanted to learn how to shift, wanted to learn more about the wolf side of her heritage.

And he had agreed. Despite her youth, a part of him hoped that spending time with another female wolf that he wasn’t related to might sway his wolf into thinking of considering a mate that wasn’t one hundred percent off limits. But his wolf was convinced Marinette was the only one for him, and in the end Luka only ended up thinking of Rose as a second sister. He chose not to introduce her to his mom or Juleka, wishing to keep this one aspect of his life private. But for two years, he and Rose met daily to work on her shifting, and to traverse the forest as wolves. His mom and Juleka had been confused as to why they had stuck so close to that human village for so long, moving clearings but never straying more than ten or so miles away from the village in any one direction. Eventually, though, Rose moved away. Now, he realized it was because she had met Marinette and become friends with her, been invited to come back with her to the Cheng Dynasty. At the time, however, he had felt the loss as keenly as if he had lost Juleka or his mother. He had come to think of her as part of his pack. Which is why when the car pulled through the human deterrent barrier and he stepped out of the car, he was completely prepared for Rose’s small body to slam into his, practically squeezing the life out of him as she did.

“I can’t believe you’re really  _ here _ . We have so much to catch up on!” Rose gushed as she stepped back, blue eyes sparkling as she beamed up at him. Her eyes flicked past him and a slight blush warmed her cheeks as his mother and sister stepped out of the car as well. “And you must be Juleka and Anarka. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you both. Luka has told me so much about you.”

Juleka shot her brother a questioning look before dropping her gaze, her own blush just barely evident beneath the thick fall of her hair. Rose was completely unperturbed by her lack of response and turned with a grin to Anarka as the older woman greeted her warmly, only a hint of curiosity visible in her eyes as she spoke to the younger woman. They chatted for a few minutes more before Rose usher them back into the car, insisting on taking the wheel despite Luka’s protests. The drive to the edge of the village where members of the Cheng Dynasty lived was short. Maybe an hour, hour and a half or so from the barrier. It was a quaint little village, surrounded by trees on all sides with a single road leading into the village from the direction of the barrier, and a single road leading out of it into denser forest and up an incline where, he presumed, The Dupain-Cheng family lived.

The suburban area was full of cute little houses and neatly manicured yards, while two streets made up the shopping district of the little town. As they pulled through on their way to the small apartment building where Juleka and Anarka would be staying during the tournament (Luka would be given a room in the Cheng residence if he were accepted as a contestant), a few people stopped and stared but no one stopped them or even seemed to recognize them. Unsurprising, given how long they had been away from wolf society. Rose parked the little car in the small parking lot outside of a well kept building that more resembled a BnB than an actual apartment building and beckoned them to follow her inside where she helped them to procure their keys and carry their things up to the small two bedroom apartment.

“I have to go, but I’ll be back at seven to leave for the ball. Get some food and some rest and make sure you’re ready by then,” she said with a cheery grin, waving before flouncing out of the apartment and disappearing down the hall. Luka shut the door behind her and heaved a sigh as he turned to face his family. They were here. They had made it, for better or for worse. Now, he just needed to survive tonight’s festivities and then go on to win the tournament. Easy, right? It would be just like a walk in the park.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on a roll haha 5 chapters in what, four days? Geez. The muse is strong with this one

The Dupain-Chengs had upgraded. That was probably the understatement of the century, but it was the only word that came to mind as Luka stepped out of the car and stared up at the veritable castle before him. At least four stories in height, the Cheng Manor stood tall and proud, backed by forests and mountains as far as the eye could see. It’s gray stone facade gave it an old-fashioned feel, the many tall and often arched windows pristine and free of smudges as they shined light down on the courtyard below. The huge, circular drive where a valet had been set up for the occasion was flanked on either side by pristine, manicured lawns and gardens that burst with color, all leading up to a hedge maze that appeared to dip behind the back of the estate before disappearing from view. It reminded him of something out of a storybook, the only things missing being the crocodile infested moat and drawbridge. Instead, a tall staircase led up to the front entrance, starting out as one wide staircase before branching out into two curved staircases with wrought iron railings that led to a small landing outside the huge double doors that would allow entrance into the home.

Juleka whistled low as she came to stand beside him, wearing a gothic style blue velvet gown so dark it was almost black. The corset style top hugged her figure, a row of pearl buttons running from her throat to her waist before the skirt flared out in a crimped, ruffled sort of style. Her hair was loose, though Rose had made her a little crown using dark black dahlia and dark purple roses and threading them through two small braids which circled her head three times before being secured at the back of her head. In a direct contrast, Rose wore a baby pink cocktail dress that fell to her knees. The top was sheer around her shoulders, with tiny flowers covering the expanse around her chest and waist before the skirt flared out in a gauzy, layered monstrosity that somehow suited her perfectly. She hadn’t done anything with her hair, but pearls dripped from her ears and neck.

Anarka Couffaine had decided to stay home, insisting balls were not her thing, so it was just the three of them tonight. Luka handed the keys to the valet and tugged nervously at the edge of his blazer. He had reluctantly allowed Rose to dress him and while he would never question her tastes, he felt like a monkey in a suit. He had never dressed up so fancy in his entire life. The black blazer had been paired with a black vest over a button up that was white as snow and some black slacks that fit him so well, they appeared to be painted on. A dark and light blue striped tie was cinched at his throat and his shaggy locks had been somewhat tamed. Sensible leather shoes adorned his feet. He would have much preferred to keep his combat boots on but Rose had look absolutely horrified at the very suggestion so he hadn’t pushed the matter

“Are you ready for this?” Rose chirped, practically vibrating with excitement beside the pair of siblings.

“No,” Juleka deadpanned.

“Not really,” Luka concurred, though he, at least, had the grace to soften the blow with a small smile. Rose deflated slightly, but only for a nanosecond before she returned to her usual bubbly persona.

“It will be fine. I guarantee this night will go off without a hitch!” She promised, taking the lead and falling into the stream of other elegantly dressed guests that were heading up the stairs towards the doors, where two guards were checking people off a list. Juleka and Luka exchanged an apprehensive look before hurrying to follow the spritely blonde. While the other guests waited in a line to be admitted, Rose made a beeline for the top of the stares, ignoring the disgruntled mutterings of the other guests. A few people sneered in disgust, words like  _ hybrid _ ,  _ freak, _ and  _ mutt _ being tossed freely toward the blonde. If Rose noticed, she gave no indication of being affected by the insults, but Juleka scowled at the speakers and Luka could barely contain his protective growl as they quickly followed her. Rose reached the two guards first, a big smile on her face.

“Good evening, Alix! Kim, how are you and Ondine coping with the new baby?” She greeted them with obvious familiarity and the pair smiled welcomingly at her in response.

“Sup, Rose.” Alix greeted, moving to check her off the list she held. She was a petite woman, probably only a few years older than Rose and not much taller with spiky pink hair and hard blue eyes. Despite her height, she looked strong. She had muscle where Rose was all soft curves and still lingering baby fat. Kim on the other hand was tall and muscular, with tanned skin that said he spent a lot of time in the sun and hair that was brown with a streak of blonde at the tips.

“Doing great. Little man is gonna be the biggest, strongest wolf the pack’s ever seen one of these days,” Kim boasted proudly before his eyes slid past her and focused on Luka and Juleka. “Who are your friends?”

“Luka Couffaine, of the Couffaine Pack. And his sister, Juleka Couffaine. They’re with me,” Rose spoke with confidence and ease, seeming oblivious to the startled look the two Guards exchanged.

“Thought all the Couffaines were dead,” Alix cast them a suspicious look while Kim grinned jovially down at Rose, completely unbothered by the presence of the two strangers.

“Does  _ Marinette _ know what you’re up to? You know how she hates when you try to meddle,” he teased, nudging her playfully. Rose smiled wide and blinked her baby blues innocently up at the two guards.

“When do I ever  _ meddle _ , Kim? You insult me,” she giggled, earning a disbelieving snort from Alix.

“I’ll let them in but if Mari gets mad, it’s  _ your _ funeral, kid. I ain’t bailing you out this time,” she warned, flicking her gaze up to rove once more over Juleka and Luka before returning her gaze to Rose. “She’s stressed enough by this whole thing without you adding to it.”

Rose waved off their concerns and thanked them before leading the pair through the tall double doors and into an artfully decorated foyer. The floor was pristine white marble, shimmering beneath the light as a huge, elegant chandelier that sparkled as it dripped from the vaulted ceiling. Straight ahead, a huge staircase spiralled towards the second floor and to the right of that, a black grand piano sat waiting to be played. The stairs were cordoned off to prevent guests from venturing past the first floor and Rose indicated they should follow her towards a doorway to their left, which appeared to lead to the ballroom judging from the way people were spilling out of the doorway. Rose stepped through, beckoning the two siblings to follow which they reluctantly did. It had been years since they had been surrounded by this many people, and even longer since they had been surrounded by this many of their own kind and it set both of their nerves on edge. But they were in, and the next obstacle would be upon them soon. They needed to get through this opening ceremony and the procession line where  _ hopefully _ Tom and Sabine would grant him their blessing to join the tournament and not kill him on the spot.

Rose finally came to a halt after they broke through the thick of the crowd and beckoned towards a low buffet style table that was littered with drinks and appetizers. “You should eat something, stick back here until Marinette makes her appearance. I have to go mingle, but I’ll find you when it’s time for the procession line,” she promised, offering a wink and then flouncing off without giving them time to protest.

  
  
  


Luka wasn’t sure how long they loitered awkwardly near the buffet table, ignoring the curious glances shot their way. A few times, either he or Juleka were approached with a request to dance but they both declined politely, feeling far more secure in this alien environment with the other at their side. They didn’t speak, neither much for menial chatter, but they drew comfort in the presence of each other and eventually, maybe an hour or so after arriving, a hush fell over the crowd and the ballroom doors which had been closed once the rest of the guests had arrived, swung open. Luka and Juleka exchanged a glance and simultaneously shrugged off the wall, making their way close enough to see while still sticking toward the back of the group and out of sight of the girl who had entered. Not that it would have mattered. The girl who entered did not look around or even acknowledge her guests as she walked with slow, measured steps towards a raised dais where, at some point, her parents had appeared.

Tom and Sabine Cheng hadn’t changed much in the last few years, aside from looking a bit older and wiser. There were a few crows feet at the corners of their eyes, and laugh lines around their mouths, but their hair didn’t appear to have grayed at all and they still looked young and youthful as they stood and moved to the edge of the stage as their daughter joined them. Luka finally allowed his gaze to slide over the girl, his throat suddenly dry as he allowed his eyes to rove from the hem of her sparkling midnight gown which hid her shoes from view, up the full skirt and over the black velvet of the chinese style halter. Up the slender slope of her neck, past the slightly rounded chin, over the soft, rosy cheeks that were still dusted with freckles, past the pert nose and finally settling on her eyes. He was loath to admit it, but she looked radiant, like a ray of glowing moonlight. Thickly rimmed with long, dark lashes that formed lush crescents on her cheeks everytime she blinked, Marinette’s blue eyes stood out like sapphires against the blinding lights of the ballroom.

His wolf surged beneath the surface, only years of practice allowing him to keep a tight leash on the beast as he thrashed and clawed to be let loose. A yearning so strong it almost brought him to his knees flooded him, desperation clogging his throat with emotion as he stared at her. Beside her, Marinette’s parents droned on and on but they could be talking about sparkly pink unicorns for all the attention he paid them. Her eyes. He couldn’t look away from her eyes. They looked so sad and lost, a look he wouldn’t have thought to attribute to a girl like the Marinette he had once known. The Marinette he knew was so vibrant, so full of life, that the smile never seemed to leave her lips for long. What had happened over these last few years that made her look like the rug had been yanked out from under her, or like her puppy had just died right in front of her? She looked lost, broken even, and his wolf whined with the need to go to her, comfort her, which was ridiculous. He didn’t know her. For all he knew, he was projecting his wolf’s feelings unto her. She could be having the time of her life. But even as he thought it, he knew it was inaccurate. For some reason, Marinette Dupain-Cheng looked miserable and he desperately wanted to rectify that.

Her parents stepped back and turned their attention to the girl and she smiled beautifically in response, but the look was robotic, mechanical, and clearly tailored to make those around her think she was blissful and happy when she was anything but. How long had she felt this way that her smile should look so practiced? How long had the Marinette he knew been buried beneath this subpar replacement version which paled in comparison to the real deal. He watched her intently, waiting for her to shift and howl, the signal for every other wolf in the room to shift and howl as well. But nothing happened. He waited on bated breath, eyes narrowing as first confusion, then panic filtered across her face and again his wolf heaved against its shackles, driving Luka to take a step forward before he regained control and forced himself to stop. The people filling the room started to shift from foot to foot and mutter amongst themself and silently he urged her to shift forms but still, she seemed trapped. Tears beaded the corners of her eyes, visible even to him at the back of the crowd, and her head jerked back and forth as she searched for an escape route but found none.

Sabine Cheng gripped her daughter’s shoulders, concern replacing the annoyance that had been there moments before and Luka couldn’t hear what she was saying over the dull roar that was filling his ears but he could tell that Marinette wasn’t responding, almost looking catatonic as she whipped back and forth like a ragdoll from her mother’s shaking. Was she even breathing? He couldn’t tell if she was at this point and this time it was him, not his wolf that drove him forward one step, two and then three. The crowd shifted once more, parting slightly and suddenly Marinette’s gaze landed on his and they both froze. Time seemed to stand still as his heartbeat thundered in his ears, unblinking cerulean eyes locked on burning sapphire. Marinette’s pupils suddenly shrank, the only warning before her wolf burst out with an ear splitting howl that seemed to rattle the windows and make the chandelier overhead shiver ominously. As abruptly as she had shifted, her eyes rolled back in her head and the ebony wolf slumped to the stage, oblivious to the pandemonium that broke out the second she hit the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one but its ooooh so gooood

Marinette’s head  _ hurt _ . She groaned, scrunching up her face as the steady throb in her temple seemed to punctuate the beat of her heart. Her eyelids flutter, bright light fragmenting the darkness that surrounded her and immediately slammed them shut once more. Hands, cold against the flushed heat of her skin, pressed against her forehead and then her cheeks and she whined in protest, shrinking away from the freezing touch and wishing for nothing more than to sink back into oblivion. Unfortunately, her body seemed to have different ideas because awareness came back to her in increments. The quiet  _ whir _ of the central air which did nothing to cool the heat of her skin. The creak of the glossy floorboards as hundreds of people shifted uneasily. The frantic voice of her mother in the distance, sounding like she was on the phone with the pack healer. The disquiet murmur of the guests who were no doubt staring at her like an exhibit in some sort of freak show. Mortification only made her skin burn hotter and suddenly the hands on her face were a relief rather than a nuisance.

“Marinette. Marinette, wake up,” the quiet, feminine voice urged and Marinette again attempted to blink open her eyes. This time, the light wasn’t as bright, shadowed by the head of blonde hair hovering over her. Rose’s blue eyes widened and tears glistened at the edges when Marinette’s gaze finally focused on her, worry palpable as she sighed a breath of relief.

“R-rose?” She croaked, throat bone dry. Trying again, she asked, “what happened?”

“You had a panic attack, Mare. You fainted,” Rose said, small hands supporting her with a surprising amount of strength when she tried to sit up. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been out or when she shifted back, but she’s definitely back in her human form now, dress pooled around her like spilled ink. Before the darker haired girl had a chance to formulate a response to that embarrassing revelation, Rose disappeared and her mother took her place.

“Marinette, you’re okay!” Sabine Cheng breathed her relief, clasping her daughters hands in her own. Marinette nodded, the move jerky as if her head wasn’t fully attached to her neck and her vision blurred as her head throbbed once more. 

“My head hurts,” she whispered, extracting one hand to press against her right temple where the pain was the worst. Her mom nodded and looked up, mouthing something to presumably her father before wrapping one arm around Marinette’s waist and gripping her elbow in the other hand. Standing, she helped Marinette to her feet while supporting most of her daughter’s weight on her short but sturdy frame.

“Let’s get you into bed. We’ll reschedule the start of the tournament,” her mother assured, guiding her towards the stairs that led down from the dais. Marinette dug her heels in, a thread of panic suddenly pumping through her.

“No!” She burst out, meeting her mother’s startled gray gaze. Wincing and curling slightly in on herself as embarrassment flared once more, she added in a softer tone, “I mean n-no, everyone already came out and got all dressed up. I just need some fresh air, a walk in the gardens perhaps? Then I’ll be fine,” she assured quickly. Marinette wasn’t sure why she was insisting on the night not being over, but there was a little niggling sensation in the back of her head like her wolf was trying to tell her something. Some reason that she absolutely had to go through tonight, which was a far cry from how her wolf had felt even just a few minutes ago.

Sabine looked at her daughter indecisively before glancing at her husband to see what he thought. Tom, who was hovering nearby, shrugged helplessly and she sighed before finally relenting. “Alright, but I want you to go lay down. No walking in the gardens. You need to rest. Your guests will be fine enjoying the food and drink for an hour while you recuperate,” she said firmly. Marinette opened her mouth to protest, but her mother’s frown told her that this was the best deal she was going to get and so Marinette bit her tongue and decided to keep quiet, nodding agreeably instead. Satisfied, the older woman looked out over the crowd before beckoning a young man forward and smiling kindly at him.

“Adrien, be a dear and take Marinette up to her room for a bit? Make sure she  _ rests _ ,” she said firmly, shooting another glance at her daughter before smiling once again at the young man. The young man in question nodded solemnly, but there was a sparkle in his green eyes as he swept a gallant bow and looked up at her from beneath the fall of his golden bangs.

“‘Twould be an honor, madame,” he addressed her mother before smiling impishly up at the raven-haired girl. “Shall we, my lady?”

Marinette snorted, her annoyance with her mother appointing her a babysitter dissipating in the goofy face of one of her closest childhood friends. Adrien’s smile widened at the sound, looking quite pleased with himself, and without further hesitation she slid her hand through his and allowed him to escort her from the dais and the room full of penetrating stares. Only once the beautiful french doors of the ballroom were closed behind them did Marinette allow herself to breathe easy once more, tension falling away from her shoulders until she released Adrien and slumped bonelessly down onto the fourth step of the grand staircase. Adrien leaned back against the railing nearby, close but not too close. He knew how much she hated when people hovered and fretted over her.

“How long has it been since the last one?” He asked, after the silence had stretched from seconds into minutes and her thundering heartbeat had slowed to a lazy  _ whump-whump-whump _ . She doesn’t have to ask him what he meant. Adrien has been in her life since she was five. One of her oldest and dearest friends and her biggest confidante. He knew her every thought and aspiration and insecurity.

“Five months. Or maybe it was six? Silly me, I thought my wolf and I were over this whole differing opinions thing,” she laughed but the sound was strained and didn’t sound the least bit genuine as she stared off into the distance. Her hand lifted, rubbing absent-mindedly at the spot above her heart where she often imagined her wolf to be centered. As she had explained to Adrien years ago, it was like your head and your heart being at war with each other. Except worse because in this case her  _ heart _ was a living entity with a mind of its own and her will was often far stronger than Marinette’s.

“She still misses him.” The blond boy deduced and Marinette froze, that little niggling feeling returning to the back of her head. Him, meaning the faceless, nameless boy who haunted her dreams. The one her wolf had bitten, marked as hers so many years ago. Something about  _ him _ had caused her to finally shift before blacking out. He was… he was here. Or she thought he was. No. No, she was  _ certain _ she had seen him. It was why her wolf had surged to the surface so suddenly, causing a whiplash effect that may or may not have resulted in a concussion. It certainly felt like she had a concussion at least.

“Adrien… would you do me a huge favor?” She asked, and something in her voice must have alerted him because his green eyes narrowed on her warily.

“Depends on what it is…” he said slowly.

“I really think I just need a walk in the gardens to clear my head, but if you go back in there, Maman will just send the guards for me. Would you wait in my room until I come for you?” She looked at him pleadingly, widening her blue eyes and jutting out her lower lip in a look she had perfected years ago to get Adrien Agreste to do exactly what she wanted him to do. His resolve wavered as he found himself caught between his sense of duty to the role her mother had given him, and his desire to cheer his friend up.

“You aren’t gonna run away? You won’t go chasing after a guy who might not even exist?” He checked.

“I won’t run away,” she promised, ignoring his second question because she couldn’t answer that one truthfully and Adrien would probably smell the lie on her if she agreed to that one as well. Luckily, he didn’t notice her avoidance of the second question and after a few more moments of deliberation, he nodded in agreement and shrugged off the railing.

“Okay, but thirty minutes max and then I want you upstairs and  _ resting _ . You hit your head pretty hard, Mare,” he said, reaching out to lay a hand on her shoulder before spinning and heading up the staircase. Marinette waited until he was out of sight before she descended the four steps she had mounted and turned towards the kitchens that sat opposite the ballroom. With all the cooking finished, the kitchen was empty, the staff all off and enjoying their own festivities in the service win. Marinette made a beeline for the small door that sat at the back of the kitchen, semi-hidden amongst the tall shelves that held all sorts of dry goods. The door opened into a small courtyard at the side of the manor and, as she had expected, was unguarded unlike most of the other entrances. 

Slipping out, she breathed in the cool night air and closed her eyes, tipping her flushed face towards the light of the full moon for a few moments before shaking off the stress the night had brought and calling upon her wolf. This time, there was no resistance as the wolf rose to the surface, swallowing up the girl in the midnight dress until only the small, onyx colored wolf remained. Lifting her muzzle to the air, the wolf howled. Calling desperately for the one she had lost so long ago and then she paused, ears pricked and straining until finally, after what seemed like an eternity, an answering howl came. Electricity zipped down the wolf’s pelt and she turned towards the sound, searching the darkness eagerly. She whined, cocking her head as she searched until movement and glowing blue eyes caught her eye at the entrance to the hedge maze before disappearing into the darkness beyond. The she-wolf yipped excitedly and without hesitation, she gave chase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #SorryNotSorry #QueenOfCliffHangers


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited meeting is here

The heady scent of roses and ivy filled the air, masking his scent as the large charcoal wolf crouched beneath one of the hedges and watched cautiously as the smaller wolf stepped through the entrance of the maze. She was a few shades darker than he was, a barely visible shadow in the pitch blackness if not for the glowing orbs of her eyes skittering nervously back and forth. She paused a few steps inside the hedge, ears pricked and swiveling as she tried to pick up on the sound of his movement. For that reason, Luka forced his limbs into absolute immobilization, not ready for his hiding spot to be discovered. When listening for him didn’t work, the she-wolf lifted her muzzle and her nose twitched as she tried to pick up his scent. But Luka had chosen the maze for their first meeting for that very reason. He could scent the fauna from the house, and this close the scent of flowers was overpowering to their heightened senses.

A low whine of frustration rippled from the she-wolf’s throat as she padded further into the maze, black nose brushing against the tightly woven leaves and branches where he had purposefully brushed against a few times to leave a stronger scent trail. Her ears pricked, excitement causing her snuffling to grow louder before she took off in the opposite direction of where Luka had hidden. He waited one heartbeat, two, and then three for good measure before he wiggled out of his hiding spot with a satisfied huff and set off after her. The maze twisted and turned in a dizzying fashion as he wove deeper and deeper into the maze and closer to the center where the tip of a gazebo could just barely be seen above the tall hedges. The rustling ahead of him told him that Marinette was still searching for him, following the faint scent trail he had left moments before she had stepped outside and called to him.

Anticipation thrummed through the male as they continued their roundabout trajectory towards the center and only once they were near enough that the lights from the gazebo were beginning to lighten the darkness did he pick up his pace. The sudden thumping of his pawsteps startled the she-wolf and she whipped around, skittering backwards as he charged her. At the last moment before impact, the male leaped, soaring easily over the smaller female and racing ahead with a challenging  _ woof _ . The females indignant yip preceded the pounding off her own paws as she gave chase and Luka’s heart glowed with joy for the first time in a long, long while. He swerved around a corner, and then another one, making sure to keep ahead of the female but he could hear from the thrum of her pawsteps that she was starting to gain on him.

Taking a hard left in hopes of throwing her off, the male suddening slammed on the brakes, paws scrabbling for purchase and finding none against the slick, dew-dampened grass. His morose yelping filled the air as he crashed muzzle first into the overgrown rose bush that filled the dead end. The soft thump of paws announced the arrival of the female and shame burned at his pelt as she nudged worriedly at his flank. Bracing his paws, he tried to heave himself backwards but only managed to further entangle himself in the sharp thorns that had dug through his soft pelt and into the skin below, catching and holding him in place. Whining, he stopped struggling and dropped his butt to the ground, head still fully ensnared in the rose bush. The small onyx wolf beside him whined again, nose pressing into his flank before pulling away. The sound of nails scratching earth had his ears pricking, and a moment later a furry muzzle popped up from beneath the bush, followed by bright eyes, pointed ears, and slender shoulders.

Her mouth fell open, tongue lolling as she blinked up at him from beneath the bushes' thorns and her nose grazed his as her wagging tail brushed against his side. Luka growled and braced himself one more, pushing backward, but again the thorns only dug in deeper and halted any progress he might have made otherwise. Slumping again, he huffed in defeat and the she-wolf cocked her head curiously as her tail continued to brush against his side.  _ Do you need help? _ The question filled his head, tinged with amusement as her sapphire eyes danced up at him and Luka scowled.

_ No _ , he insisted, nails digging into the ground as he again heaved backwards. But like the first two times, he barely managed to budge before his paws slid out from under him and sent him nose first into the dirt below the bush. Hot breath brushed his muzzle as the small black wolf shuffled closer, nudging the corner of his mouth with her nose before her tongue flicked out to brush his cheek.

_ I think I should help,  _ she insisted. Before Luka could protest she was scrambling backwards, easily avoiding the thorns overhead with her much smaller frame. His ears pricked as he tracked her movement until she stood behind him.  _ Ready? _

_ What are you- _ before he could finish his question, teeth dug into his tail and Luka yelped as the small she-wolf heaved backward. He whined, his tail feeling like it would tear off at any moment, but after a few seconds the thorns snagging his fur released and his head popped free so suddenly that he fell backward and landed half on top of the she-wolf behind him. Marinette wheezed in protest as the larger wolf’s weight drove the breath from her lungs and she scrambled against the damp grass to free herself.

_ Would you… get… off! _ She growled, craning her neck to glare up at the male. Luka quickly scrambled to his paws and stepped off her, ears flattening as the she-wolf gasped. Once her breath had settled, she picked herself up and frowned reproachfully at the male before shaking dust and dirt particles from her fur.  _ You weigh a lot more than you look. _

_ You’re smaller than you look, _ Luka shot back, earning an indignant huff from the she-wolf. Rising to his paws, the male prowled closer, nose twitching as he took in the scent of the female sitting before him. This close, he could smell her even over the roses and the ivy. She smelled like moonlight and the earth right after it had rained, like flowers and honey and sweet, sweet things he couldn’t aptly put a name to but which made his mouth water nonetheless. Her head tilted, bluebell gaze riveted to him as he circled her, snuffling frequently to take in every bit of her scent. Finally satisfied, he stopped in front of her and for a moment the pair just stared at each other, basking in the glow of togetherness before an impish smile lit up the face of the smaller wolf’s and she surged to her feet and butted her muzzle playfully against his. She bounced back a few steps and bowed her back, butt in the air and wagging tail curved over her back. Luka’s ears pricked, adrenaline coursing through his paws as he rose and mimicked her stance.

Yipping excitedly, the female tore back through the maze and the male gave chase once more, following her through the dips and curves of the maze as they resumed their trajectory towards the center. Marinette was smaller and faster than he was, but Luka had strength and determination on his side and as the she-wolf veered and darted into the clearing that made up the center of the maze, he leaped. Paws slammed into soft flesh and the two wolves tumbled head over tail, nipping and mouthing as they grappled for the dominant position. Luka was the bigger of the two, his wolf nearly twice the size and mass of the smaller female. But she was a slippery little thing, managing to avoid getting pinned by her much larger opponent.

Eventually he quit trying to pin her and just hovered over her instead, panting from the exertion of their game. The smaller wolf rolled onto her side and kicked out at him playfully as her tongue lolled, but her breathing was just as labored and Luka only leaned over and graced the top of her muzzle gently with his teeth in response. Her ears fell back as she bumped the top of her muzzle against the underside of his, tongue darting out to brush against his chin as she nuzzled closer. Luka closed his eyes, tail swishing as contentment filled him. They stayed like that for a long time, muzzles pressed together and breath lingering. Both were loath to move, lest the break the spell that had fallen over them, but eventually a familiar howl forced Marinette to draw away and look back towards the manor. Adren was calling, which meant she had surpassed the thirty minutes he had allotted her. Perhaps realizing their time together was drawing to a close, the male shuffled closer and again his teeth closed gently but possessively over the female’s muzzle.

_ Stay _ , he implored, a tinge of desperation coating the words. Marinette wanted to, more than anything, but another howl interrupted her thoughts and with a forlorn whine she rose and drew away. If she didn’t leave now, Adrien would come looking for her and he was protective of her. She didn’t want to risk the two fighting if Adrien thought she was in danger. Her ears and tail drooped as she pressed her muzzle briefly to the males.

_ Come, _ she pleaded, looking at the male desperately. Unspoken, the words  _ show me who you are _ dancing across her mind. But the male stepped back and a shutter seemed to fall over his eyes, darkening his gaze as he blinked at her. Marinette stepped closer, whining softly but the male bared his teeth in a growl and she froze. Where before there had been soft adoration, distrust now filled his gaze and with a final growl, the male spun on his heels and raced away leaving Marinette feeling more alone than ever before.

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know what you think!


End file.
